Your rights at public meetingsa publication provided by MC2PA (www.mc2pa.org) Speaking Free speech is good. All citizens have a responsibility to use their voices when given the opportunity to do so. At traditional public meetings, there are designated times for public comments. At some special meetings, like a deliberative session, the entire meeting is dedicated to input from the public. This is your opportunity to defend, debate and alter motions that have been made by the elected officials.
At any public meeting, if you live in the district towns, and are over the age of 18, then you have the right to speak. If you don’t have voting rights, you will need to ask permission from the moderator/chair to be able to speak. When you “have the floor”, it is your turn to talk without unnecessary interruptions. The moderator/chair needs to recognize you and say that you “have the floor.” You are required to speak only about the motion that is up for debate and you must address the chair/moderator- not individuals in the audience or other officials. Voting Voting is how opinions get counted. In a democracy the majority decides the outcome. The will of the majority is determined by voting. Voting is the final step in the process of making a decision. Once a vote is taken the decision is considered made, and the topic is typically closed. Most votes require a simple majority to pass, which is 51% of the voting public. Some votes require a 2/3 majority. You’re allowed to vote if you are a registered voter, and live in the district towns.
When the moderator sees that debate is done on a topic, he will call for a vote. He will restate the motion and take the vote. Some votes are taken vocally - you will be instructed to shout “yay” or “nay” at the appropriate time. If the vote is not clear, the moderator will usually call for a show of hands. An individual on the floor can also call for a show of hands if the moderator does not choose to. Request for a ballot vote requires the signatures of 5 qualified persons and it must be turned into the moderator before s/he calls for a vote. In our district, a ballot vote will involve each registered voter going to his/her checklist table, showing their pink card, having it punched, and receiving a “yes-no” ballot. Definitions Moderator ~ This is the person responsible for keeping order at a public meeting. He ensures that parliamentary procedure is followed. Quorum ~ The minimum number of members required to be present for a meeting to be held. Robert’s Rules of Order ~ A set of guidelines that follows the will of the majority while preserving the voice of the minority. Motions ~ This is an action that a public body wants to take and requires a vote to enact. Second ~ Some motions require a “second”, which means a member of the voting public agrees with the motion made and wishes to see it debated. Whoever seconds a motion must intend to vote for the motion. Agenda ~ Planned topics of discussion for a meeting.
Motion Basics Main Motions are made by someone who has the floor. When the motion is made, it needs a second. (If there is no second then the motion is not considered.) The motion is discussed and when debate ends, the facilitator asks "is there any further debate?" If not, the motion is restated and put to a vote. The results of the vote are announced. Main motions usually require a simple majority (more than half) to pass. Amendments can be made to motions to replace words, strike words, or add words. Amendments may only be considered one at a time and are voted on separately from the main motion. Amendments are voted on before the main motion and a second amendment cannot be proposed until the first has been voted upon. Amendments usually require a simple majority (more than half) to pass. Division of a question allows a motion to be split up. This lets people vote on the different parts of a complex motion separately. To divide a motion or amendment, a simple majority is needed. Some useful Motions Stop debate can be called when the debate isn’t going anywhere. If “stop debate” passes, it brings the current main motion/amendment immediately to a vote. When this motion is in effect, it is up to the moderator to decide who gets to speak before the vote. (Usually people in line to speak are allowed to.) Stopping debate requires a 2/3 vote. Reconsider A motion to reconsider may be raised at any time during the meeting and may address any motion that has been voted upon. Once a motion to reconsider has been voted to happen, the motion that was reconsidered is reopened for debate and voted on again. Restrict reconsideration may be introduced at any time during the meeting (under RSA 40-10). The motion to restrict reconsideration is usually made after the vote on the article is taken and it may address 1 or more previously voted upon articles.
The only way a vote may be reconsidered after the passage of a reconsideration restriction is at an adjourned meeting held at least 7 days after the vote to reconsider and must be properly posted et c
Question of privilege may be raised via respectful interruption. This motion is made when it is difficult to understand the debate. Someone may raise a question of privilege to request the speaker to talk louder, or have the moderator hand around a copy of an agenda or policy. This motion is not voted on, seconded, debated or voted on. The moderator will address the concern if deemed valid. Point of order is used to return the meeting to its agenda, or if there is discourteous conduct, or if the rules are not being followed. This is raised via respectful interruption. A person states, “point of order” and waits till the moderator recognizes them, before stating their reason for interrupting.
Resources McDow, Roberta M. Parliamentary Procedure without Stress. Reston, VA: NASSP, 2001
Robert McConnough Productions. Roberts’s Rules of Order: Simplified and Applied, 2nd Ed. Indianapolis, ID: Wyley Publishing, Inc, 2001 http://www.robertsrules.org/
Parliamentary Procedure
Your rights at public meetingsa publication provided by MC2PA (www.mc2pa.org)
Speaking
Free speech is good. All citizens have a responsibility to use their voices when given the opportunity to do so. At traditional public meetings, there are designated times for public comments. At some special meetings, like a deliberative session, the entire meeting is dedicated to input from the public. This is your opportunity to defend, debate and alter motions that have been made by the elected officials.
At any public meeting, if you live in the district towns, and are over the age of 18, then you have the right to speak. If you don’t have voting rights, you will need to ask permission from the moderator/chair to be able to speak. When you “have the floor”, it is your turn to talk without unnecessary interruptions. The moderator/chair needs to recognize you and say that you “have the floor.” You are required to speak only about the motion that is up for debate and you must address the chair/moderator- not individuals in the audience or other officials.
Voting
Voting is how opinions get counted. In a democracy the majority decides the outcome. The will of the majority is determined by voting. Voting is the final step in the process of making a decision. Once a vote is taken the decision is considered made, and the topic is typically closed. Most votes require a simple majority to pass, which is 51% of the voting public. Some votes require a 2/3 majority. You’re allowed to vote if you are a registered voter, and live in the district towns.
When the moderator sees that debate is done on a topic, he will call for a vote. He will restate the motion and take the vote. Some votes are taken vocally - you will be instructed to shout “yay” or “nay” at the appropriate time. If the vote is not clear, the moderator will usually call for a show of hands. An individual on the floor can also call for a show of hands if the moderator does not choose to. Request for a ballot vote requires the signatures of 5 qualified persons and it must be turned into the moderator before s/he calls for a vote. In our district, a ballot vote will involve each registered voter going to his/her checklist table, showing their pink card, having it punched, and receiving a “yes-no” ballot.
Definitions
Moderator ~ This is the person responsible for keeping order at a public meeting. He ensures that parliamentary procedure is followed.
Quorum ~ The minimum number of members required to be present for a meeting to be held.
Robert’s Rules of Order ~ A set of guidelines that follows the will of the majority while preserving the voice of the minority.
Motions ~ This is an action that a public body wants to take and requires a vote to enact.
Second ~ Some motions require a “second”, which means a member of the voting public agrees with the motion made and wishes to see it debated. Whoever seconds a motion must intend to vote for the motion.
Agenda ~ Planned topics of discussion for a meeting.
Motion Basics
Main Motions are made by someone who has the floor. When the motion is made, it needs a second. (If there is no second then the motion is not considered.) The motion is discussed and when debate ends, the facilitator asks "is there any further debate?" If not, the motion is restated and put to a vote. The results of the vote are announced. Main motions usually require a simple majority (more than half) to pass.
Amendments can be made to motions to replace words, strike words, or add words. Amendments may only be considered one at a time and are voted on separately from the main motion. Amendments are voted on before the main motion and a second amendment cannot be proposed until the first has been voted upon. Amendments usually require a simple majority (more than half) to pass.
Division of a question allows a motion to be split up. This lets people vote on the different parts of a complex motion separately. To divide a motion or amendment, a simple majority is needed.
Some useful Motions
Stop debate can be called when the debate isn’t going anywhere. If “stop debate” passes, it brings the current main motion/amendment immediately to a vote. When this motion is in effect, it is up to the moderator to decide who gets to speak before the vote. (Usually people in line to speak are allowed to.) Stopping debate requires a 2/3 vote.
Reconsider A motion to reconsider may be raised at any time during the meeting and may address any motion that has been voted upon. Once a motion to reconsider has been voted to happen, the motion that was reconsidered is reopened for debate and voted on again.
Restrict reconsideration may be introduced at any time during the meeting (under RSA 40-10). The motion to restrict reconsideration is usually made after the vote on the article is taken and it may address 1 or more previously voted upon articles.
The only way a vote may be reconsidered after the passage of a reconsideration restriction is at an adjourned meeting held at least 7 days after the vote to reconsider and must be properly posted et c
Question of privilege may be raised via respectful interruption. This motion is made when it is difficult to understand the debate. Someone may raise a question of privilege to request the speaker to talk louder, or have the moderator hand around a copy of an agenda or policy. This motion is not voted on, seconded, debated or voted on. The moderator will address the concern if deemed valid.
Point of order is used to return the meeting to its agenda, or if there is discourteous conduct, or if the rules are not being followed. This is raised via respectful interruption. A person states, “point of order” and waits till the moderator recognizes them, before stating their reason for interrupting.
Resources
McDow, Roberta M. Parliamentary Procedure without Stress. Reston, VA: NASSP, 2001
Robert McConnough Productions. Roberts’s Rules of Order: Simplified and Applied, 2nd Ed. Indianapolis, ID: Wyley Publishing, Inc, 2001
http://www.robertsrules.org/